Improving Oklahoma's roads

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Deteriorating road conditions in Oklahoma have lawmakers looking for ways to fund improvements. <br><br>A bill in the Legislature would ask voters next year to raise the state tax

Monday, April 14th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Deteriorating road conditions in Oklahoma have lawmakers looking for ways to fund improvements.

A bill in the Legislature would ask voters next year to raise the state tax on gasoline and diesel fuel.

The bill has already passed in the Senate.

It would increase the state gasoline tax by five cents per gallon and the diesel tax by eight cents per gallon.

The new tax would be 22 cents per gallon for gasoline and diesel fuel, which would put the state tax on par with surrounding states.

The Department of Transportation estimates it would cost seven-point-three (b) billion dollars to bring the state's highways up to minimum design standards.

It would cost an additional three-point-three (b) billion to replace nearly 16-hudred bridges that are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.